A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Belgrade told Radio Free Europe that Serbia has chosen the West by taking part in the Platinum Wolf military exercise alongside troops from NATO member states.

“Serbia has made the choice to be part of the West and that includes further integration into EuroAtlantic security structures and partner militaries,” the unnamed spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Platinum Wolf will include 100 US troops, the spokesperson said and added that the exercise “is directly relevant to Serbia’s existing participation in missions all over the world”. According to the embassy spokesperson, the further Serbia goes in its integration into EuroAtlantic security structures, the shorter its path to the European Union.

RFE was told at the Serbian Defense Ministry that preparations are underway for the exercise in southern Serbia from June 14 to 30. Platinum Wolf is the only international exercise that the Serbian military is taking part in after a moratorium on those exercises was imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin said it would carefully monitor the exercise, RFE said.

Although military-neutral, Serbia is part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.